Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-02-04

floors. and mile of walking nowhere out
OF doors equals any half hour which that
woman spends in tramping back and
forth over wooden floors. She sweeps
and washes and cooks. and stands by the
sink to wash dishes; she sews, nurses and
lifts her children. Her labors are never
done Morning till night there is the
weary, unceasing trsmping back and
forth. By night, from fostering cares
she has grown brain weary and inert.
She is too tired even to think or to move.
Her husband may read his paper or dis
cuss stste questions, but she is too tired
for all that. The work which she has
done differs from so called exercise or
vigorous physical exertion. 1t saps both
the mind and body, and never stimulates
them. No reaction can follow. The
whole nature succumbs to a profound
WEAKNESS, and sort of unhealthy men
tai condition ensues.
NOW 1 maintain that no man or woman
whose physical powers are exhausted can
have either of two things creative
mind, one that impels the individual to
activity, of to carve ont, to seize, to make
opportunities for itself; or, secondly, a
mlnd that Is serene, contented or happy.
lt IS the same way with men whose bodies
"AS wan SAS "AlAA uiSSIpAilon. lhey are
subject to periods of despair. And go
into our farm houses and look at the
women-worn out, self repressed and sad.
If they are not bitter and sometimes re-
belllous, they are elaintive and ofteuer
than not they are stolid. But underlying
all lthese separate phases of their mind
there Is in them all basis made up of
despair.
All of this subject is one that | can
touch on but briefly. But there is another
aspect of 1t, that seems TO me of still
more vital moment When the question
arlses-so often asked-why have women
never yet carved out for themselves
greater opportunities, | feel that the ans
wer may be read in the records of lives
wasted Ia petty exhausting cares that
raped their vitality and strength. Even
so great man as Lincoln-a man to
whom we look with reverence and awe
even Lincoln succumbed to these condi-
hons. No woman ever had greater NOR
bid sensIbllities. He rallied because his
nature had time to recuperate. Wom-
en- seldom have that time allotted to
them.
NOW, my reasoning may seem to many
preposterous. But 1 ask my readers what
are the greatest essentials to progress
and civilization, or rather what ere two
FACTORS we always recognize in it! They
are always either the possession of slaves
or great machines. Labor, in other words
must be either delegated or accomplish
ed with as little expenditure of personal
force as possible, the idea being thst the
BRAIN workers may be free. In Athens,
IN the days of her greatest victory, the
poorest man deemed himself unfortunate
II he did not possess seven slaves. Each
citizen then could have leisure to concern
himself with the affairs of the state.
Compare the literature of Athens with
that of Sparta, where the citizens we're
trained to physical hardship. What
slavery did for Athens machinery does
IN better way for Us in the nineteenth
century.
wish that space permitted my enter
ing more fully into this question. have,
however, done all l wish if | have been
able to start one or two people thinking
IN certain directions. The Importance of
the subject can hardly be exaggerated.
think. An understanding of physical
laws as they control the mental ones in
both sexes would lead to better knowl-
edge of women and the reason of their
failures. In this way it would help to
open the way for surrounding them with
better conditions and opportunities,
making it possible for them to develop
powers which have been until now warp
ed and twisted in adverse conditions.